The Lost Apprentice
by SmartAssAssassin
Summary: "Vader was not always the cruel monster you all fear. Once he was the brightest star in the galaxy, a beacon of strength and hope to all.""How? The darkness surrounding him is suffocating. No light could exist in a being so dark.""It's true. He inspired bravery, was a great leader.""How do you know?""...I was his apprentice...and your father was his master..."


**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars or any of the original characters.**

Prologue

_In the dead of night a shadow darts through the slums of Coruscant, silent and quick. It slips through the crowd of drunks and criminals as effortlessly as if it weren't even there, an apparition haunting the dark streets that have seen more unnecessary violence than any war. It glides along until it reaches a dark side alley and turns easily, quickly fading into the gloom where it enters a building with a busted door and hurries up a set of stairs, feet not even seeming to touch the ground as it flies up and up and up. Eventually it reaches a door on a landing and a slender hand appears from within. With a fluid, graceful gesture, the door, seemingly old and busted, slides open easily and reveals a dark room with a single dimmed light faintly illuminating the center. The shadow quietly steps in and the door closes softly behind it. It waits patiently._

"_You came."_

_The hand appears once more and pulls the hood back revealing the face of a young Togrutan woman hidden within the black cloak, her white markings stark against the smooth orange-red of her skin and highlighting the sky blue of her large eyes. Her lekku and montrails are almost fully developed, lying just below her waist and stripped blue and white. Her full lips part and she speaks with a voice too tired, too weary to belong to a face so young._

"_Of course. I told you I would."_

_A cloak shrouded man steps out of the shadows, his face lined and weather beaten and his hair a soft red, faded slightly with age. He smiles tiredly, exhaustion clear in his once bright blue eyes now shadowed by pain and grief. _

"_I know. But with all that has happened as of late, I wasn't certain you would risk it."_

_Her expression softens slightly. _

"_I may have left, but I am still your friend and if you need help, I will be there, no matter the risk. Besides, I had to come back. I needed to know that the rumors were true, that he really-"_

_She chokes up, can't bring herself to say the words that had turned her world upside down when she had first heard them said. _

_He looks at her sadly._

"_I'm afraid you have heard correctly. The rumors as you say are true." He takes a step toward her, his expression turning sympathetic. "I'm so sorry. I know how much you cared for him and he for you."_

_She shoots him a strained smile, trying hard to maintain her composure._

"_Yes. He was like a brother to me and I loved him as such", she sighs and casts her eyes down, "Maybe I always will. But he has made his choice. And no matter how hard we wish we could, we can't change that. I know you already tried to save him and you failed. If you couldn't get through to him then no one can. And I have to accept that." She nods slowly, almost as if to convince herself more than him, before lifting her eyes to meet his._

"_And so do you. I can feel the pain and guilt you feel within your heart. You blame yourself even though you know none of this is your fault. You must let go of these stifling negative feelings. You're the one who told me that we cannot let ourselves be weighed down by the mistakes made in the past, that the disappointments and losses of yesterday will only cloud our judgment. So we must accept what has been and let it go for the sake of what will be. You especially must take these words to heart if not for your own sake than for hers". She tilts her head at the bundle cradled in his arms, nearly hidden within the folds of fabric draped over his shoulders. _

_He glances down at the sleeping baby girl and smiles softly, shifting her carefully to one arm so he can use the other to brush a loving hand over her fuzzy, bald head. She's only a few months old, but traces of her parents' features are already becoming evident in her tiny face, in the faint reddish tint of the few hairs she has. _

_He loves her. More than anything in the galaxy. It's written all over his tired face. _

_She walks slowly toward him, her eyes on the infant girl. When she reaches them, she lifts a slender orange-red hand to lay softly on the child's stomach, feeling the soft, rhythmic rise and fall of her small chest. She raises her gaze to his._

"_She needs you. She needs you to let go of the past and focus on the present so that you can survive."_

_She takes a deep breath._

"_Survive and come for her one day so that she may know her father. And more than that, she needs you to survive so you can protect him, the one who will save us all so she can live in a world different from how ours was and is now. Better."_

_He shoots her a surprised look and she shrugs._

"_I've seen the visions too. I haven't completely turned my back on my old life. He will save us and you will show him the way."_

_He nods slowly and sighs. _

"_You're right. Thank you. Now", he takes a deep breath and carefully pushes the tiny baby girl into the young Togrutan's arms, "take her and go. We cannot waste any more time. You must go. Quickly."_

_She adjusts the sleeping child in her arms so that she is carefully hidden beneath her cloak and nods. _

"_Yes, of course." She looks up at him. "Would you like to say goodbye? You won't see her for a while, possibly ever." _

_His eyes fall to his daughter and he bends forward to lightly kiss her small forehead._

"_Goodbye Kari", he murmurs softly against her head, "I love you. More than you will ever know. We'll meet again someday. I promise." He takes a shaky breath and straightens, meeting the Togrutan girl's subdued gaze with his own. _

"_Go."_

_She nods and uses one hand to pull her hood back up before turning and moving, once again with the grace of a shadow, towards the door. She just reaches it when she hears him call softly from behind her._

"_And Ahsoka", she glances back at him and he bows his head respectfully, "May the force be with you."_

_Tears well in the former apprentice's eyes and she forces them back with effort. She dips her head._

"_And you as well Obi Wan. Be careful." _

_He nods at her and she turns back and steps into the darkness, fading almost immediately from sight. _

_The former master takes a deep breath and shakes his head before lifting a hand and pulling his hood back up, plunging his face into shadows. He walks slowly over to a window on the far wall and peers down at the street where a dark figure weaves smoothly through the mess of garbage and drunks lying all over the street. _

"_Be careful, Ahsoka", he murmurs softly as she vanishes from view, "You may have left the Order, but you are still a Jedi and he will eventually come for you as he will all the others. Be prepared and stay alive. Stay alive and keep my baby girl alive with you. You both will play a bigger part in the fate of the galaxy than you think. Survive for me, my girls. And may the force be with you."_

* * *

**_Hey guys! I'm back! I know it's been a while since I've updated or written anything, but this has been a very important year for me school wise so I really needed to give it my full attention and in addition to that I just had major reconstructive surgery done on my face and the recovery has been long and brutal. Anyway, I'm back now and will hopefully be updating most of my stories and getting back to my writing. If you guys like this story and want me to continue, please review and let me know. After being gone so long, I've found I'm a bit self conscious about my writing and my friend actually had to talk me into posting this so I could really use some positive feedback from you guys. Let me know! It's good to be back.:)_**

**_~ SAA_**


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